Root and shoe and innersole therefor.



15.889,093. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

G. c. BEMIS.

BOOT AND SHOE AND INNERSOLE THBREFOR.

APPLICATION IILED JUNE 28.1907.

'UNrTEnsTATEs PATENT onirica. Y Glisser minis', or .'L'YNN, MASSACHUSETTS, Assis-Noa To NAiL-Lnss cUSnIoN HEEL-f sEATcoMPANY, or LYNN, MAsSAoHpSETTS, .i CORPORATION-or MAssiioHUsEfrfrs.

Boor AND-SHOE AND I 'NNERSOLE THnnEFoR.

To all whom it may concern: i

`Be it known that LGILBERT C. BEMIS, of Lynnfin the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots and Shoes and Innersoles Therefor, of which the follow ing is a specification. K

This invention has for its chiefA object to provide an inner sole with a cushioned forepart, the upper or foot bearing surfacel of which shall afford a yielding sup ortfor-the footand 'shall be free from lia ility to be The'invention consists in the improvef4 ments which I will now and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part vof this specilicatiom-'Figure `1 represents a longitudinal proceed to describe section of the bottom portion of a shoe embodyingr my invention.

ig. 2 represents a perspective view of`the 'inner sole shown in 1li 1` before its incorporation into the shoe, vt e top layer and cushion of the yinner sole being raised to expose the bottom layer. View of a somewhat different construction of inner sole embodying my invention. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4&4 of Fig. 3.

vThe vsame letters of reference indicate the same arts in all the figures. Y

Re erring to Figs. 1 and 2, 12 represents the shank portionl of an inner sole, and 13 14 represent two'layers or divisions which constitute the fore-part of the inner sole, said layers being formed in this embodiment of my invention7 by splitting the fore-part from the toe to the shank ortion, thus making the layers 13 1.4 integra` with the shank portion 12. 1n a welted shoe the bottoni layer 13 is preferably considerably thicker than thc top ayer 14, and is channeled to form the usual lip 1.5, to which the upper and welt are secured by the usual inseam stitches 1T.

1S represents a cushion which is cemented, or otherwise secured to the under side of the top layer 18, said cushion being iliade of felt or other suitable cushioningr material: The top layer is attached to the bottom. layer or v `Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application-filed ,inn 2s, i907. serial Noi 381,315.

Fig. 3 represents an edgeI Patented May 26, 1908.

to the body'of the sole only at its rear end portion, the entire top layer forward of `its rear end portion being free to moveflen thwise relatively to the," bottom layer. l .he

cushion and the topy layer'. 14 are thereforev adapted to slip lengthwise upon thebottom layer. The resultl of this `freedom of movement of the top layerand its cushion to slip r upon the bottom layer, is vto enable the top layer and cushion to conform to the flexure of the bottom layer and the outer sole,

caused b the vmovements of the foot in walk- `surface of the bottom layer with an anti-frictional coating 19, which may be produced by applying with a brush or otherwise a liquid composition, such as a solution'of shellac, or

any other composition which is capable 0f' forming a smooth, hard surface when driech the coatin composition being of such nature that it wil not be affected by any heat 'or dampness to which it is likely to besubj ected. 20 represents a confiningl strip, which Ise loosely connects the toe portion of ,the u per layer and cushion to the bottom of the s oe, the said strip being preferably a;short piece ofelastic fabric, stitched orotherWise-se` cured to the top layer .at one end, its other end'being carried between the upper andin-l nerl sole, and secured'by the inseam stitches. The object of the strip 2,0 is to prevent rear 'ward or upward displacement of the top layer 14' and the cushion 18. Whenmade of el astic material, it yields when the curvature .of the bottoni is decreasing, thus permitting i the cushion to slip rearwardly, an contracts` when the curvature of the bottom. is increasing, thus drawing the toe portion of the cushion forward. The strip 20, may, however, be of inelastic material, and left sufiiciently loose to permit the desired rearward slip of the fore-part of the to layernd cush ion when the curvature of t e bottom'is be ing decreased. When the strip 20 is of elas tic material, it has a tendency to pull the toe4 portion of the tpp layer and cushion forward when the shoe is not occupied, thus raising the central portion of the cushion slightly two separate layers,'.viz., a bottom from the bottom layer 13, andy formin an yair s ace between t e cushion and the ottorn ayer to facilitate ventilation andd 'ng Yof the cushion and of Vthe bottom layer o the inner sole. f

In Fig. 3 I .show the inner sole com osed of layer 21 and a top layer 22, the latter being provided at the shank portion withiears 23, which are bent downwardly across the channel-'of the inner sole, so that they are in position to be secured by the inseam stitches. 'In this embodiment of the invention, the cushion 18 is secured to the under side of the top layer, the

upper surface of the bottom la er being coated, as above described, to ren frictional. I

The above described improvements may be embodied in a slip inner sole, which is free from attachment to the boot or shoe.

It is obvious that the anti-frictional coating may be applied to the under side of the er it anticushion, instead of to the upper side of the 4 bottom layer of the inner sole. It is also obvious that the anti-frictional surface may be applied to the under sidel of the top layer of the inner sole, the cushion being attached to kthe bottom layer. I consider it preferable, however, to attachthe cushion to the top layer, and to apply the antifrictional coatinv to the bottom layer, as iirst describe In Fig. l I show the heel part of the inner sole divided to form a bottom layer 24 and a top layer 25, between which a heel cushion 26 is interposed. The heel portion of the vouter sole is offset to form an inclined wall 27 and a flat heel seat 28. The bottom layer 24 of the heel portion of the inner sole is oil'set to conform to the wall 27 and heel seat 28, and is permanently attached to said parts by suitable means, such as the nails which at- 'tach the heel 29 to the heel seat.

v 5j() represents a metallic shank stillener, which 1s 1nterposed between the shank ortions of the inner and outer soles as usua but'is distinguished from the ordlnary shank strll'ener 1n 'that its rear end is extended and curved downwardly at 31 to reinforce and hold in place the inclined wall 27 formed by oll'settin the heel portion of' the outer sole, the

.sait extension 31 alsoreinforcing and holdas a tether, its function being to loosely or yleldingl coniinc the tore-part ol the top ayer an( cushion.

The to layer'14 and cushion I8 should bc shorter t an the bottom layer, in order that there may be sufficient space between the toe end of said layer and cushion and the toe' portion of the upperto permit the forward slldm movement of the top layer and cush4 ion w en the curvature of the' forepart of the sole is being increased. I y I claim:

1 An inner-sole having a flexible fore-part com osed of a bottom layer and a top layer,

the atter being attached to the bottom layer onl at lts rear end portion, and a cushion attac ed to o'ne of sald layers and free to slip 'on the'other layer.

2. An inner sole having a iiexible fore-part comIposed of a bottom layer and a top layer, the atter being attached to the bottom layer onl at its rear end portion, and a cushion atltac` ed to one of 'said layers, and in sliding contact with the other layer, and a substantlally anti-frictional coating between said parts.

3; An inner sole having a flexible fore-part composed of a bottom layer having a substantially anti-frictional upper surface, a top layer, and a cushion attached to the-to p layer, and in sliding contact with the bottom layer, the top layer heilig attached to the bottoni layer only at its rear end portion. l

y 4. A shoe having an inner sole with a flexible two-layer fore-part, the bottom layer being permanently attached to the shoe, while the top layer is attached to the bottom layer only at its rear end portion and is free to move relatively to the bottom layer, and a cushion interposed between the two layers and attached to one of the layers.

5. A shoe having an inner sole with a flexible two-layer fore-part, and a substantially antifrictional coating between said parts, the bottom layer being permanently attached to the shoe, while the top layer is attached to the bottom layer only at its rear vend `:ortion, and is l'ree to move relatively to the hottom layer, the movement being facilitated by the said anli-i'rictional coating.

(if A shoe having an inner sole with a flexible two-layer lore-part, the bottom layer be` .allxed to the lop layer, and a tether connecting,r the toe. portion ol' the top layer to the toe portion ol' the shoe.

7. A shoe having an outer sole, the heel portion ol' which is oll'set to lorm an inclined pocket wall and a llat heel seat, an inner sole having a two-layer heel portion, the bottom layer being conformed to the inclined wall and heel-seat portions oll the outer sole, while thcnpper layer is loose, and forms a cushion pocket cover, a stilt'encr interposed between (he shank portions of the outer and inner soles, and provided with an extension conforming to and winforcing said inclined wall, and a heel cushion inserted in said pocket.

n 8. Ashoe having en inner sole Witha flexithat it is free to slip 'forward thereon when 10 ble two-layer fore-part, the b'ottom layer bethe' curvature of the sole is increased. ing permanently attached to the shoe, While f In` testimony whereof I have affixed lny the top layer is attached to the bottom layer Signature, in presence of two Witnesses. Yonly at its'rea'r .end portion and is free to j' e GILBERT C BEMIS move relatively to thev bottom layer, and a cushion ,interposed between the two layers .Witnee-ses:

- andvattached to one of the layers, the top C. 15h-BROWN,.-

layer being shorter than the bottom. layer so l 'l BATOHELDER. 

